Market Watch 3/23/10

Stock Market Closing Prices – 3/23/10

Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJIA ) Close – 10888.83 +102.94
Nasdaq Stock Market Close – 2415.24 +19.84
S&P 500 Close – 1174.17 +8.36

Commodities Closing Prices – 3/23/10
Gold Close - 1103.50 +4.20
Oil Close – 81.30 -0.61
Natural Gas – 4.14

Today, momentum carries stocks higher; Dow adds 103. Traders shrug off a decline in home resales, focusing instead on optimism shown by Carnival and others. KB Home reports a narrower loss. Google falls on China uncertainty.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner testified this morning about potential changes to the way U.S. homes are financed before the House Financial Services Committee, in an effort to debate what to do with FNM and FRE, the government entities that own or back about 50% of U.S. mortgages. Fannie and Freddie have been in conservatorship since 2008.

Stock Market March 24, 2010,

U.S. durable goods orders for February. 8:30 a.m.
U.S. new home sales for February. 10 a.m.

General Mills to release quarterly results. Before market open.